The start of February usually means the return of the magazine sponsored tours hiting Norwich UEA, and this year is no exception, with the Kerrang! Tour this week, followed next week by the NME tour.

This years tour was meant to be a bit more balanced, with the heaviness of opening bands While She Sleeps followed up by the pop punk of New Found Glory and Sum 41. Unfortunately, Sum 41 had to pull out because of the continued injury to Deryck. Luckily The Blackout stepped up at short notice to replace them, but more on that in a moment.

When it comes to pop punk bands, no band does it better than New Found Glory, with 7 full length albums behind them they are seasoned pro’s. There’s advantages of headlining tours such as this for NFG, including the chance to play in front of other bands audiences and win new fans, the only downside being that there set is only an hour long, which means they have to cut down on some of their more popular songs, and only 3 songs from their new album Radiosurgery are played. Despite a shortened set, NFG decide to play three covers, when most fans would have preferred they put in more of their own material. New Found Glory still have such an energy about their performance, that they are great to watch, the only minor problem was Jordan Pundik vocals struggling, probably down to the current freezing weather having a bad effect on his voice.

New Found Glory at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

New Found Glory at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

New Found Glory at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

The Blackout always knew this was going to be tough for them, a lot of people were disappointed both by Sum 41s withdrawal from the tour, and secondly by The Blackout being announced as replacement. Now, this obviously wasn’t The Blackouts fault, they were helping Kerrang and the promoters out, at short noticed, but to Sum 41 fans The Blackout weren’t a band that appealed.

Taking all this in to account, The Blackout had a lot to do to win the crowd over, but pretty much managed it. They threw in an early cover of Fat Lip by Sum 41, and proceeded to hit the crowd with catchy hooks song after song. Hightide, Never By Your Side, Children Of The Night and Higher and Higher stand out. The Blackout may have not been to everyones taste, but they won new fans tonight.

The Blackout at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

The Blackout at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

LetLive were the band that everyone was looking forward to seeing. Having gained a buzz about them in the last year for their singers, Jason Butler, onstage antics. Off stage Jason is a calm mellow guy, but on stage he is all over the place, jumping off speaker stacks, getting in the crowd. Such a good performer.

LetLive at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

LetLive at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

While She Sleeps at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

While She Sleeps at Norwich UEA, 8th February 2012 (Photographer: Jon Luton)

Hello Bear

Band name:
Hello Bear

Band members and roles:
Luke Fox – Vocals / Guitar
Tom Harvey – Bass / Backing Vocals
Daryl Blyth – Drums / Shouts

Formed:
The band was put together in early 2010.

Previous Releases:
Fun At A Stable Volume EP (Self Release)
An Exquisite Year For Charm (NR ONE)
Indulgence (NR ONE)

Forthcoming Releases:
I Dropped The Screw In The Tuna (released 13/02/12)
This One Girl… (released 02/04/12)

Forthcoming Gig list:
Nambucca – London 13/03/12
This One Girl… release show – Norwich Arts Centre 31/03/12

Three bands that influenced your sound:
The band all have different influences. But the combination of influences has created the Hello Bear sound.
Personal influences however; Luke – Los Campersinos. Tom – Led Zeppelin. Daryl – The Aquabats.

Short biography/description of the band:
Hello Bear play their own brand of Post-Sad core fun pop. The band (as a unit) was born in early 2010 just as the weather started getting warmer.The band have toured the UK, had numerous air play on various BBC shows and established student radio stations, played festivals alongside The Futureheads and Darwin Deez to name but a few.
They enjoy long walks on the beach, cups of tea and pints of rum. They’re here to bridge the gap between make-up-wearing boys and pint-drinking-girls.

Link: Facebook

Hello Bear

Hello Bear + Darwin & The Dinosaur + Dying Breeds + White Collar Crimes
Norwich Arts Centre
Saturday 31st March 2012

Fresh from their UK tour, Hello Bear will be celebrating the launch of their debut album ‘This One Girl…’ released through NR One Records, which is all very exciting. The album will be exclusively available to buy at the gig for the low price of £5.

If melodic punk mixed with indie is your bag, then you’ll no doubt enjoy Darwin & The Dinosaurs’ dulcet tones! They’ve put all their tracks up for free on their Bandcamp, so if you’re not already familiar, go have a listen/download at http://darwinandthedinosaur.bandcamp.com/

Dying Breeds have recently signed to Intruder Records, and are busy preparing for their debut album. Pop punk in the mold of NOFX.

Final support band is newcomers to the local scene, White Collar Crimes, who offer guitar-driven indie melodies with ambitious vocals to match.

Tickets are available now from http://www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk/events/hello-bear–16-03-12-.aspx for just £4 in advance.

Two Door Cinema Club

The infamous NME Awards Tour is back for 2012, heading to Norwich UEA on Friday 17th February, and ready to showcase the year’s most exciting emerging music talent. Renowned for giving the freshest new acts their first taste of national notoriety – past alumni include Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Florence & The Machine, Crystal Castles The Bluetones, Idlewild and The Vaccines – 2012’s line-up captures the spirit of 2011 and sets the agenda for an explosive forthcoming year of music.

NME editor Krissi Murison says: “As far as NME Awards Tour line-ups go, it’s difficult to imagine one more exciting than this or more representative of the cutting edge sounds that will define 2012. Every week in NME we bang on about how brilliant these bands are, and this is an amazing opportunity to see them all on the same bill. Two Door Cinema Club are one of the most exciting live bands in the world right now, Metronomy recorded arguably the album of the year, Tribes are the future of British indie music and Azealia Banks is, well, pretty much the most exciting new act on the planet. It’s going to be a good one…”

Having quietly become one of the UK’s best loved bands, Two Door Cinema Club will headline the hotly anticipated annual tour. Since releasing their debut album ‘Tourist History’ in March 2010, Two Door Cinema Club have rapidly become one of the biggest new success stories in UK music. After selling out headline tours in the UK, US, Europe, Australia, Asia, Japan and South America, playing two successive sold out nights at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and selling out the O2 Academy Brixton in under four hours, the band have deservedly earned both a devoted word-of-mouth live following and huge critical acclaim.

Two Door Cinema Club say: “It feels great to be headlining the NME Tour and be amongst what feels like a great line-up as well. We had a taste of the tour when we did the local support slots when the Tour came to Ireland with the Maccabees when we were pretty much just starting out as a band. We feel a real sense of achievement to have made it this far and be one among the incredible list of headliners on the NME Awards Tour.”

Hailing from the tiny, bohemian market town of Totnes in Devon, Metronomy join the line-up this year. One of the most expansive and visionary pop bands in the country, Metronomy will be supplying the NME Awards Tour with proof that it’s possible for electronic bands to put on a show as authentic as any rock band.

Metronomy say: ”It’s pretty exciting to be part of a travelling tour, a bit like a circus or something. It’s been a while since we did a tour this long with the same bands for the whole thing, so hopefully there will be some camaraderie between the bands. Failing that there should be some incredibly violent ‘beefs’ which will make for good reading in the magazine.”

London quartet Tribes have gone from prodigious debutant slots opening for their idols The Pixies, to relentless grassroots grafting of the UK dives, to being lauded ‘the future of rock ‘n’ roll’ by the Mystery Jets.

Tribes say: “We’re really f***ing excited to be going on the NME Tour. We’re really happy to be part of it, considering the history of the tour, and the fact the likes of The Vaccines and The Horrors have done it before. Hopefully there’ll be some good after parties too – we’re all about the partying.”

New York producer/MC Azealia Banks, who has been steadily perfecting her craft and making a name for herself, has bagged the coveted opening slot for the NME Awards Tour 2012. Since her first steps as a child in off-broadway theatre productions to her training at La Guardia High School of Performing Arts – a breeding ground for stars – Azealia Banks’ seasoned bars and angelic voice give everybody a reason to rewind that track.

Azealia Banks says: “I’ve been reading NME since I was old enough to ride the trains, where I’d buy it on newsstands… it’s almost surreal that I’ve been selected to participate in this tour… it’s such an honour.”

Hyro Da Hero

After playing Norwich Waterfront supporting The Blackout and 3OH!3 last year, Hyro Da Hero returns to headline Norwich Waterfront on Thursday 16th February 2012. Putting on a mix of Rap and Rock that’s not to be missed.

Seasons come and go. Trends pop and deflate. Careers rise and fall. Genres of music live and die. Once in awhile, an artist steps up who doesn’t quite follow the cycle. He doesn’t pay heed to “What’s cool.” He doesn’t give a shit about “Who’s hot.” He doesn’t follow the zeitgeist but, rather, the zeitgeist follows him. Hyro Da Hero is about to flip rap upside down, inside out and all around.

Currently creating an industry buzz like a disrupted beehive – Los Angeles based purveyor of “Gangsta Rock” – Hyro Da Hero tore apart the UK as special guest on The Blackout UK tour. His debut album, “Birth, School, Work, Death” was released earlier this year to critical acclaim.

Hyro spins his own cycle of hip hop on Birth, School, Work, Death. Loading rock ‘n’ roll attitude into explosive, engaging and enthralling rap music. With the crunch of a power chord and the snap of a rhyme, the Houston-bred Los Angeles-based MC spits pure fire. Produced by Ross Robinson— the man behind Korn, Slipknot and At the Drive-in’s legendary debuts— “Birth, School, Work, Death” sounds like Tupac fronting Rage Against the Machine.

Hyro’s live band certainly have the pedigree to pummel as well. Guttural riffs feed into razor-sharp rhymes, building a sound that’s as introspective as it is infectious. Hyro Da Hero fires off one aural grenade after another whether it’s violent punk-funk vibrancy of “Sleeping Giants” or the sugary bitch-slap of “We Still Popular”. Across the album, Hyro experiments with a myriad of styles from the psyched-out pop of “Man in My City” to his call-to-arms, “Grudge”, where he proudly declares, “I ain’t Lil Wayne.”

New Found Glory

Wednesday 8th February 2012
Norwich UEA

Following the success of the 2011 tour, which featured headliners Good Charlotte and support from Four Year Strong, Framing Hanley and The Wonder Years, Kerrang! have gone the extra mile to create a double headline event giving fans even more bang for their buck. Next February, there’s the chance to see two of the pop punk scenes’ kingpins, New Found Glory and Sum 41, on the same night under one roof. Joining the co-headliners are letlive., one of the hottest rising acts on the international live circuit and rising UK stars While She Sleeps.

15 years after they first stomped out of the Florida undergrowth, New Found Glory are currently riding the wave of a pop punk creative peak with the release of their critically acclaimed seventh studio album Radiosurgery. Regarded as an inspiration by the likes of All Time Low, Set Your Goals and A Day To Remember, it’s a good job New Found Glory don’t suffer from vertigo – they’re at the top of their game.

After a four-year break from the studio, Sum 41 crashed back onto the scene with Screaming Bloody Murder last year. The more personal direction taken by frontman Deryck Whibley since his divorce from pop rock starlet Avril Lavigne has produced some of the Ontario pop punks’ most powerful material to date, which easily sits alongside classic anthems like In Too Deep, Motivation, Still Waiting and Fat Lip.

Progressive hardcore quintet letlive. are one of the bands to watch in 2012. Off the back of the critical acclaim of their album Fake History, the Los Angeles quintet are steadily earning a reputation as one of the best live bands in the world right now. Frontman Jason Aalon Butler was recently voted number one in a list of Kerrang!’s top 50 greatest rock stars in the world today – catch them live to see why.

Opening each night are Sheffield post-hardcore five-piece While She Sleeps. Fresh from a headline tour with support from Bury Tomorrow and Feed The Rhino, this Steel City quintet are ones to watch. Their mini-album, The North Stands For Nothing, boasts eight pulverising reasons why they’re an exciting addition to the bill and Kerrang! can’t wait to see them kick off the show each night.

Editor of Kerrang!, James McMahon says, “Everyone at Kerrang! prides themselves on the fact that our tours are always a heap load of fun, but this year’s tour really does offer something for all rock fans – you’ve got punk, you’ve got pop punk, you’ve got hardcore, you’ve got metal. It’s a reflection of the broad church you’ll find in the magazine’s pages week in, week out. See you in the pit!”